Get Ready Midlothian: Wegmans Is on Its Way

Shortly after I married, several years ago, my wife and I traveled to Syracuse, New York to visit her family, whom I had never met. On the entire eight-hour drive, all my wife could talk about was how excited she was that I was going to see her old neighborhood Wegmans Grocery store. Seeing her family took second place, or so it seemed to me.

In fact, since we had to pass a Wegmans to get to her grandmother’s house, guess where we went first. That’s right. Wegmans.

I’ll admit, I can understand her enthusiasm. Over the years, we’ve visited Syracuse numerous times and each trip has included at east one visit to a Wegmans. We have come to learn the location of just about every Wegmans along I-95 and I-85 that we pass (and often stop in) on the trip.

So, within just a few weeks, many locals will get their first taste of Wegmans. And I’m betting most of you are going to love the experience. Wegmans will be opening its 115,000 square-foot Midlothian store in Stonehenge Shopping Center on May 22.

So, just what makes Wegmans so great? I asked that question of family and “Northern” friends and here’s some of the reasons they give:

The Customer Service – Now, I’m not saying that within a couple of years you’ll be asking, “Ukrops who?” But Wegmans is famous for their customer service. I think we Richmonders are a little more demanding, so let’s just see how they measure up. For almost 20 years straight, Wegmans has been listed on Fortune Magazine’s list of The 100 Best Companies to Work For.” Happy employees usually translates into good customer service, especially when they’re working for a company that demands it.

The Bakery – Fresh breads are just the start. Wegmans has long been producing great tasting cakes, but their fairly recent “Ultimate” cake line is something very special. I’m a big fan of their Ultimate white cake, but they’re all good.

The Food Stations – These have become fairly common in recent years in many supermarkets, but take the best selection of food stations you’ve seen and double or triple that. They have, in most of the newer Wegmans, a fantastic olive bar, a pasta station, an Asian food station, a sushi bar, a sub shop, an organic salad bar, and that’s just for starters. Someone once said that Wegmans’ has turned grocery into theater. That’s a good way of putting it.

The Variety – In sheer number of products, alone, Wegmans excels. My wife and I have gone on what amounts to a scavenger hunt to see if there’s something that Wegmans doesn’t carry (food wise). So far, we’ve failed. International foods, gourmet items, hard-to-find candies…you name it and Wegmans probably has it.

The Salt Potatoes – Admittedly, the only person who mentioned this one is my wife. Since I’d never heard of salt potatoes (not the same as salted potatoes), I’m guessing it’s a northern thing and I’m not sure if Wegmans will have them here. But, if so, you gotta try ‘em. If not for yourself, for my wife.

The Pub –I’m hoping this is another great thing about Wegmans. I’ve never been to a one of their stores that offered The Pub restaurant, but I know the Midlothian location will feature one. And if Wegmans does this as well as everything else, it ought to be cool. Specializing in local craft beer and fresh food, the Pub will probably be the incentive a lot of husbands need to accompany their wives when they go shopping (and vice versa). I’ve only seen the menu, but I can assure you, I’m going to be one of the first in line to try their Pub cheeseburger.

Will you be singing the praises of Wegmans in a few weeks? You may not be as enthusiastic as I, but soon the doors will open and you’ll have an opportunity to discover for yourself if Wegmans is as great as they say it is.